It is pretty common for some pregnant women wishing to give birth to twin children. If you have grown up watching twin babies around you, then the desire to have twin babies is twofold.

Below are some factors that assess your chances of having twins.

1. If you already have twins in your family tree, then the chances of having twin babies are higher for you. However, you have a higher chance of having twins only if there is a history of fraternal twins on the mother’s side.

2. If you are expecting a baby at the age of 35, then the chances of having twin babies are higher. The older you are, the more likely you are to have twins because when you are 35 or older, you produce more Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), which is what causes the egg to mature each cycle. That extra FHS may actually cause you to release more than one egg in a single cycle.

3. Fertility treatments can sometimes increase the chances of having twin babies where more than one embryo is placed inside the mother's uterus. Fertility drugs typically work by increasing the number of eggs that your ovaries produce. In case you take the in-vitro fertilization route, your chances of having twin babies depend on how many eggs are being implanted.

4. If you are tall, then you have high chances of having doubles, according to the study published in The Journal of Reproductive Medicine. One theory behind it is that taller women have more insulin-like growth factor (IGF), which increases the sensitivity of the ovaries to FHS and results in them potentially releasing more than one egg each cycle. Besides, taller women also have an easier time carrying twins.

5. If you are already a mother of one and expecting a second or third child, then the chances are high. having one or more previous pregnancies increases your chances of having doubles.

By Sowmya Sangam